Is Your BarTender® Free Edition Expiring? Upgrade Now to Keep Your Workflow Running Smoothly!

Don’t Let Your Labelling Stop on August 31st, 2024!

If you’re currently using BarTender® Free Edition, it’s important to know that the software will stop working on August 31st, 2024, as it reaches End of Life (EOL). Already, the software is no longer supported as of June 30th, 2024, meaning there are no more updates or technical support available.

What Does This Mean for You?

• No More Label Printing: After August 31st, 2024, your BarTender Free Edition will cease to function, potentially halting your operations.
• Security Risks: With no new updates or patches, your system is vulnerable to security threats.
• No Support: Should issues arise, you will no longer have access to BarTender technical assistance.

Avoid Disruption: Upgrade to a Supported Edition Today

To continue your essential labelling processes, it’s time to upgrade to a supported BarTender edition. By upgrading, you will ensure:

• Seamless Operations: Keep your supply chain and teams running smoothly without any downtime.
• Full Technical Support: Receive the expert assistance you need, whenever you need it.
• Regular Updates: Benefit from security patches, performance improvements, and new features.

Your BarTender documents created with BarTender Free Edition are safe.
To successfully migrate your documents, please complete the following steps:

1. Contact us to purchase a valid license.
2. Upgrade to the latest version of BarTender.
3. If you plan to install BarTender on a different computer, back up your Free Edition documents prior to migrating.

Need to Upgrade

1. Choose the Right Edition for Your Business: Whether you need advanced label design or simple functionality, there’s a BarTender edition tailored to your needs.
2. Fast and Simple Upgrade Process: You can upgrade directly from your current software, ensuring minimal downtime.

Don't Wait Until It's Too Late!

Ensure your business continues running smoothly by upgrading today.

Get in touch and we’ll help you transition to a fully supported BarTender® Labelling Software license

Need help choosing the right edition?

We’re here to guide you.

Reach out for personal advice on your next steps and keep your labelling processes uninterrupted.

Label overprinting involves printing on top of a pre-printed label

Overprinting is an efficient way to add text or images to pre-printed labels. It allows businesses to make updates without the need to reprint the entire label, saving both time and money.

This gives our customers the flexibility to print a variety of information themselves, while still getting the quality look & finish of professionally printed labels.

It’s particularly useful in industries where products need specific details, such as expiry dates, batch numbers, or promotional information. By using label over-printing, companies have complete control over what they print: minimising waste with on-demand labels.

This allows our customers to easily print their information while still enjoying the high-quality appearance of professionally printed labels.

One of the best advantages of label overprinting is its cost-effectiveness. By allowing businesses to make updates to only the relevant parts of a label, rather than reordering an entire batch, it significantly reduces waste.

Purchasing labels in bulk and printing only what they need, when they need it! 

How Overprinting Works

• We provide our customers with pre-printed labels that they then print on top of using a thermal label printer. The pre-printed labels we provide serve as a base (colours/logos/label shape etc.). Customers then print the additional information as needed, ensuring a polished and professional final product.
  
• Pre-printed labels are available in a wide range of sizes, materials—such as clear, metallic, or synthetic—and finishes, including gloss or matte. This variety ensures customers can choose the perfect label to meet their needs and preferences. Direct thermal is also an option for temporary/frozen labels. 
  
• The overprinted information can include both text and images, such as dates, weights, sequential numbers, barcodes, nutritional panels, ingredients, batch codes, symbols, and more. This flexibility allows for precise and varied customisation to meet diverse labelling needs.
  
• Thermal transfer overprinting can be done in a variety of colours, including metallic options like gold and silver.

The most common use case is where our customers have a standard format (i.e. pre-printed label) with their logo & contact details printed in colour. They then overprint with the unique product details, barcodes etc.

Affordable and Versatile: From Everyday Use to Continuous Operation

Thermal label printers are very cost effective and are an easy way to print: 

• The printers range in price & capability, handling from 1000 labels per day, up to 24/7 printing.
• Print quality depends on resolution in Dots per Inch (DPI).
• Label software allows automation and efficiency with connectivity to databases and more.

Combining Pre-printed labels with thermal transfer allows for superb looking labels, produced quickly and at a low cost.

Why you should consider Overprint labels
Flexible + Efficient + Cost-Effective

• Flexible: Overprint labels provide a powerful combination of flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This printing method allows you to tailor your labels with custom information and designs, adapting easily to your specific needs.
  
• Efficient: If your business has a wide range of products with different information, overprinting gives you the flexibility to print on-demand only what you need, when you need it. (Having control over the variable information printing allows you to make changes quickly & easily).
• Cost-Effective: Getting the benefit of purchasing your “generic” pre-printed labels in bulk, saving as a result of volume discounts.

What you need to get started with overprinting

1. A Thermal Transfer Printer; 
2. Labels, blank or pre-printed (min orders over 1000 are more cost-effective) – contact us for designs & pricing; 
3. Thermal transfer ribbon; and
4. Labelling software (we can provide a Free version of this with your printer)

If you need help with thermal ribbons, labels, or printing get in touch. We want to help you find the right solution for your needs and budget. We also guarantee our products and won’t sell you c^@p!

We often overlook a critical aspect of barcodes, barcode colours. Barcodes are everywhere in the 21st century, appearing on labels, product packaging, and even on digital screens. It plays a vital role in automating several supply chain steps, such as inventory management and tracking.

Selecting the right colours for your barcode will not only reduce errors but also optimise the scanning process. This barcode colour guide will explore common problems and how to overcome them with the right colours.

Common problems with Barcode Colours

Barcode scanning issues arise when incorrect colours are used. Lack of contrast in the background and the bars often leads to errors, significantly affecting inventory management, disrupting the supply chain, and increasing correction costs. Let’s take a look into the common problems when printing coloured barcodes or choosing coloured labels for barcode backgrounds.

• Low Contrast Colours

Barcode scanners make efficient use of contrast between the bars and the gaps between them. The reflection creates a difference between light and dark, named Print Contrast Signal (PCS).

Low contrast between the bars and the background makes it difficult for the scanners to evaluate reflected light, causing errors.

• Red and Green Colours

Barcode Scanners use red/infrared light, which can cause some complications. Red surfaces with high red content reflect the light and interpret them as white light, reducing contrast of the barcode colour. The green colour is the complementary colour of red and interferes with the scanner’s light, slowing down accurate scanning.

• Metallic Colours and Patterns

Shiny metallic colours also reflect excessive light making it hard for scanners to distinguish between bars and white spaces. Similarly, patterns make it hard for the scanners to evaluate the light between the bars, affecting the overall readability. This can also affect high-sheen/glossy labels, hence why some of our customers use matt or semi-gloss for their barcode labels. 

Choosing the Right Barcode Colours

Choosing the right colour helps ensure optimal scanning and reduce errors. Consider the following measures. 

• Contrast is Key

The core principle in colour selection is contrast. Aim for a sharp contrast between the background and the bar for better accuracy. The classic combination of black bars on a white background provides the highest contrast and is recommended for reliable scanning.

• Dark vs. Light Colors

Placing dark colours on light colours, such as dark blue and dark brown on light backgrounds, enhances scanning accuracy. These colours absorb light and stand out against a light background. Conversely, selecting light colours for the bars increases errors.

• The Troublesome Reds and Greens

Incorporating red or green hues in your barcode can increase errors as they reduce contrast, as scanners emit red light. Complementary barcode colours interfere with the scanner’s infrared light. Avoid these colours for efficient scanning.

• Colours that do work

For GS1 barcodes, dark colours such as black, dark blue, dark brown, or dark green are required for the bars. The bars should always be of a single-line colour and should not be printed using multiple imaging tools (e.g., plate, screen, cylinder, etc.). Light backgrounds, typically white, are optimal for the Quiet Zones (areas without printing surrounding the barcode) and spaces.

Getting fancy with your Barcodes

GS1 New Zealand and WelTec hold a barcode design competition that incorporates the use of creative barcodes which still meet the GS1 barcode standards.

https://www.gs1nz.org/news/raising-the-bar-of-barcodes/

Test and Verify

Barcode scanners can vary in colour calibration. Consider testing your labels with various types of scanners. 

You can also get your printed barcodes checked by a professional organisation or business such as GS1. 

https://www.gs1nz.org/services/verification/

Barcode Colours, Conclusion

Barcodes don’t need to be boring! You can bring your labels to life using coloured barcodes with the help of our simple guide. 

Printing barcodes with direct thermal labels is generally the most cost effective way. But if you want to add colour you can use a coloured thermal transfer ribbon and/or a coloured label for the background. 

If you need help with labels, thermal printers or printing barcodes get in touch with Accurate Labelling.

Barcode printing is most often performed using a barcode printer (also known as a thermal printer). This is due to the efficiency of these printers in both speed and cost per label. 

Barcodes are produced by applying heat to the labels with a thermal printer. Thanks to technological advancements, speed and the quality of prints, thermal printing has become synonymous with barcode label printing. 

Interestingly, no toner or ink isn’t used in the barcode printing. The whole process relies on thermal paper to produce images like barcodes on labels; interesting, right? Now, let’s jump into understanding the complexities of printing barcodes in easy words.

Printing barcodes: How is a barcode printer different?

Unlike dot matrix or inkjet printers, barcode printers use a thermal printhead that almost magically produces images. The heated printhead helps create superior-quality prints consistently over and over again and are thus great for printing barcodes! 

Two types of thermal printers are used for printing barcodes: thermal transfer and direct thermal printers. One common thing in both printers is the thermal printhead, which applies heat to the surface being marked. 

Printing using a thermal printer: For cheap and reliable prints

If you need to print large volumes of barcodes, especially on boxes, cartons or pallets, then it is recommended to go for thermal printers. 

Thermal printing is the top choice when you are looking for:

• Low-maintenance, reliable prints.
• Application flexibility.
• Media flexibility.

Barcode printing alternatives: Are they any good?

Some alternatives are available, but thermal-based printing is more effective. Impact printers are at a disadvantage in industrial and dynamic environments. They need more print quality to produce consistent and crisp scannable barcodes. Such barcode printers are also not optimised for adhesive-based label media. 

Most notably thermal labels are normally provided in rolls. Having the labels in this format allows thousands of labels to be printed at a time. 

In addition these thermal barcode printers have optional extras which improve handling and label application: 

1. Label rewinders neatly roll the labels after printing, which makes it easy for when applying the labels, while also allowing for batching (i.e. labels are printed in advance of them being applied). 
2. Peel and present units do exactly that… after a label has been printed, it is presented to the operator ready for application with the backing paper removed. The operator simply grabs the label and the next label is printed instantly ready for action. 

Printing barcodes to minimise mistakes 

There is no doubt that barcode printers are found across all industries and business processes due to their utility in the following ways:

Inventory management

Barcodes are the lifeline of inventory management as they facilitate tracking and recording stock levels with pinpoint accuracy. Each barcode acts as a unique identifier for an item, thus reducing stock discrepancies and preventing errors while fulfilling orders. 

Data Accuracy

Printed barcodes eliminate the scope of human error when it comes to manual data entry. Scanning the printed barcodes instead of manually entering all the information reduces the risk of mistyping or misinterpretation. 

Supply chain efficiency

Barcodes printed using barcode printers are especially useful for efficient real-time supply chain management. Businesses can monitor the movement of their goods, reduce delays, identify bottlenecks and ensure timely delivery of shipped items. 

Hassle-free point of sale

Printed barcodes make the checkout processes at retail stores convenient and easy. Scanning the barcode labels allows one to quickly get inventory updates, pricing and other critical information about the specific product. This also enhances the overall customer experience.

Ensuring optimal quality while printing barcodes

You can’t afford to have any printing issues when printing barcodes on shipping labels. Sub-standard quality print labels could disrupt the whole supply chain. So, it becomes essential to monitor your barcode printer for its print quality closely.

Heat settings

For a barcode scanner to recognise a specific barcode, there must be adequate contrast between light spaces and dark bars. If a barcode appears to be a little smudgy or the bars are printed very thick, The reason might be slow print speed or too high heat/darkness settings. 

Even the bars which are bleeding into the white spaces aren’t at times picked by the scanners. 

On the other hand, if the barcode is faded, you should increase the heat settings or lower the printing speed. 

Barcode printer maintenance

Platen rollers

If you notice visible missing spots/bars in your printed barcodes, this may be caused by a damaged or dirty roller. Cuts or dirt on a platen roller create an uneven surface which prevents the printhead from being able to get an even print on the label. Barcode printer platen rollers should be inspected and cleaned regularly. Using isopropyl thermal printer cleaning pens/wipes can sometimes damage the rollers. Check your user manual for advice on the best method to use, this is often just water and a clean cloth. 

Thermal printheads

Missing patches in your print is often the result of a dirty or damaged printhead. If the voids run vertically through the label then it’s a key sign that the cause is the printhead. 

Give your printhead a good clean with isopropyl alcohol (following manufacturers recommendation), if this doesn’t do the trick then it could be that one or more of the printhead elements have blown. Replacing a thermal printhead is costly, so it pays to clean them regularly to ensure you get as much value from them as possible. 

Barcode orientation: ladder or picket fence barcodes?

Picket fence barcode

When the lines of a barcode are parallel to the movement of the label through the printer, this is referred to as a picket fence barcode.

[Note: We do not recommend printing barcodes in picket fence orientation. A dirty or damaged printhead can result in a missing bar in the barcode. This means barcodes won’t scan properly costing you time and money]. 

Pros

• Visually appealing if the layout suits your label design. 
• High-quality barcodes with straight and crisp edges.

Cons

• Very difficult to spot errors with the human eye.
• Errors can result in the barcode not being read.
• If the printhead burns out, a line or two aren’t printed.

Ladder barcodes

These barcodes are in a perpendicular direction to the label as it travels through the printer. 

Pros

• Even when there is an error, the barcode is still scannable.
• In case of a fault with the printer, a white void will be visible across the whole barcode. 
• The orientation helps easily detect a lousy print. 

Cons

• It can be challenging to fit the barcode in your label layout.
• Printing can be at slightly slower print speeds.

Parting Words

Barcodes have undeniably penetrated our lives so profoundly for all good reasons. Thermal printers, on the other hand, facilitate great barcode label prints. We hope you enjoyed learning about printing using thermal printers. To deliver better prints, a barcode printer needs premium label media. So it becomes vital to use reliable printer labels for effective barcode printing.

New Rules for Allergen Labelling NZ

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) introduced new rules for labelling allergens. These new Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) rules comes into force on 25 Feb 2024.

The PEAL rules are intended to make it easier for consumers (and people with a food allergy/intolerance) to identify what allergens are in food and to help them make safe choices.

Basic Summary of the PEAL food labelling rules:

• Allergens are to be listed in bold
• Use the required allergen names.
• The contains statement is mandatory.
• Individual nut names to be used (of the 9 specified tree nuts).
• Use ‘fish”, “mollusc” or “crustacea” as appropriate.
• List “wheat” as a separate allergen to “gluten”.

This blog article is intended to provide a basic overview of the new food labelling rules.

If printing your own food labels, then this article will also provide options on how to achieve this using the labelling software by BarTender.

Summary of the New PEAL Rules

Allergens that need to be declared

The food allergens that need to be declared include Egg, Peanuts, Milk, Soy, Sesame, Gluten (barley, oats, rye, wheat), Lupin, Wheat, Fish, Crustacea, Molluscs, Sulphites, Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Macadamias, Pecans, Pine nuts, Pistachios, Walnuts.

In addition to these there are other allergens that have special rules for how to declare them.

Where do you declare allergens?

Where you declare your allergens depends on what type of label your product is required to have:

• Products that need a label but no ingredients list.
• Products not requiring a label .
• Products with a label and an ingredients list.

Food labels that need an ingredients list must have allergens declared within the ingredients list and in a contains statement. There are specific wording and formatting requirements for both the ingredients and the contains statement. One of these being the need to bold the part of the ingredient that mentions the allergen.

When printing your own labels, one of the most challenging formatting requirements to achieve is bolding of the allergens within the ingredients list. Luckily, BarTender Labelling Software has as few solutions – see further down this article.

Allergen word changes

• General terms like “shellfish” or “seafood” can no longer be used.
• The term “Tree nuts” or “nuts” can also no longer be used. The specific nut needs to be declared.
• The specific type of cereal used needs to be declared and bolded.
• “Milk” needs to be used to describe the allergen present, instead of “Dairy”.

Further information

There are extra requirements in addition to those mentioned above. Please ensure you refer to the appropriate guidance and/or seek guidance from a food labelling consultant.

Here are some useful links to help:

Allergen Labelling Guide from MPI

Food Standards Code – Food Labelling

How to Bold Allergens on a Food Label using BarTender Label Software

BarTender Labelling Software by Seagull Scientific makes it easy to create food labels.

Printing can be done from a user-friendly interface with label information being extracted from a food database.

Label Software options that specifically cater for Food labelling:

• Create NIP panels designed in a neat table layout, with the ability to transform data, add prefixes & suffixes.
• Bold Allergens in Ingredients lists. Either manually for a product label, using HTML or by referencing an external allergen database.
• Intelligent templates enable objects to only print under specific circumstances.

3 methods to bold text in an ingredients list:

1. Automatically using a database containing Allergens.
2. Using HTML or RTF formatting which is sourced from the label database.
3. Individually using in-built Word Processor.

Buy BarTender® Online Now or Download a free 30-day Trial

Bold Allergens in Ingredients Labels, using an Allergens Database

This method uses VB script to check if an allergen from the ‘Allergens’ database exists in the ingredient list. If it does exist, then it applies the formatting rules to that word.

In some instances, you may not want a word to be bolded (e.g., condensed milk). So condensed milk is added to the ‘Exceptions’ database, the script then will ignore that specific term.

Detailed instructions on how to achieve this can be found in this white paper on Printing Food Allergen Labels by Seagull Scientific.

Bold Allergens, with formatting sourced from a Database field

This method requires the ingredients to be pre-formatted in HTML/RTF/XAML. The ingredients label object is a Markup Language Container which then sources the data + formatting from the database. For those who aren’t great at programming languages you can use one of the many free online tools to convert your text into HTML like this Word to HTML tool.

Bold Allergens, using the built-in Word Processor

Text and formatting can be copied and pasted from external document, such as Word or directly from Food Labelling Software.

This method does not link to a label database, so is not recommended if you have large volumes of products. As the label data will not dynamically update and you will need to create a label template for each product.

Looking for a hassle-free way to get your labels printed? Look no further than Accurate Labelling!

Our team is dedicated to making label printing a breeze for businesses all across New Zealand.

Whether you need blank labels or professionally printed custom labels, we’ve got you covered.

With our top-of-the-line label printers, thermal transfer ribbon, and software, we’re confident we can meet all of your labelling requirements.

So why wait? Get in touch with us today to discuss your needs and let us recommend the perfect labels, printers, and software for your business.

What does Printer DPI mean?

Used interchangeably with pixels-per-inch or ppi as fondly referred, since they both define the resolution and overall quality of an image, dpi or dots-per-inch is one concept that is more accurately used in the print industry, against ppi which is specific to digital images.

With the dot-sized heated elements of a thermal printer arranged in rows, the more dots per inch (or dpi) the sharper the image quality, hence, the higher the printer dpi.

Through this printing technique, thermal printers with a higher printer dpi can generate higher resolution print quality and performance than other on-demand printing technologies.

And the best part is, these prints are created in milliseconds (up to 300 mm/second) – hence, highly recommended for large scale and industrial use.

What DPI Thermal Printer do I need?

Ever wonder why specific print qualities are more sophisticated than others, with high clarity, increased contrast and proven technology? Yet, generated at a considerably shorter time?

Have you ever thought about why certain print resolutions are more readable even with smaller fonts and symbols just as seen on electronic product labels?

Well, these are some of the benefits of using a thermal printer against a laser printer or an inkjet printer.

Suppose you have come across any of those, you might have noticed that unlike printouts done with a laser or an LED printer; which entails a laser or light emitting diode to create images on the print drum; a thermal printer utilizes tiny heating elements to activate or transfer pigments to the print belt.

Where the printheads are designed using a metric that is measured in dots-per-millimetre (dots/mm), or dots-per-inch (DPI).

But before we get into the nitty gritty details to determine what DPI thermal printer you will need, depending on your usage and application, let’s take a quick dive into what the concept of DPI entails.

203 DPI vs 300 DPI vs 600 DPI Thermal Printing?

Now that we have got the hang of what a dpi thermal printer is, and the benefits of using one in terms of resolution and print quality, the big question is; what dpi thermal printer do I need?

A 203 dpi, a 300 dpi or a 600 dpi thermal printer?

Well, the answer to that question largely depends on the usage and application, which we can carve up into three interrelated factors:

1. The expected print quality or readability.
2. The print speed.
3. The label format.

A 203 DPI Print (Also referred to as 200 DPI)

While most thermal label printers on sale today feature the 203 dots-per-inch (dpi) print resolution, and as the standard for shipping labels, larger barcodes and most text fonts, this thermal printer resolution is best suited for most applications such as:

• Shipping and logistics labels with large text and barcodes.
• Direct thermal & thermal transfer labels.
• All standard paper; including varying labelling situations in retail marking.

However, smaller fonts such as a 5pt or a 6pt text are not recommended for printing using this model, since small labels may not print scannable barcodes – which is where a higher resolution thermal print dpi like the 300 dpi comes in handy.

Note 200dpi printed sample: Larger barcode is needed to be scannable. Small font point 6 is not legible. Some lines particularly thin lines are patchy. 

A 300 DPI Print

Given the 203 thermal printer dpi resolution may not be well-suited for printing scannable barcodes and smaller font texts (depending on what is printed and the nature of the material in use); the 300 dpi thermal printer is designed to address that issue.

Even though the 203 printer dpi represents the industry standard, as it will print faster and provides an acceptable image for most applications, the 300 printer dpi is the most popular printhead for the majority of smaller label sizes.

The 300 printer dpi resolution is recommended when your application demands an enhanced print quality such as smaller fonts, intricate barcodes, graphics and logos.

Using the 300 dpi resolution, smaller sized texts like 7pt and 6pt, smaller labels and scannable codes will print well.

Keep in mind that text printed in reverse using serif typefaces will appear sharp; while, thin strokes will fill in.

To get the best quality out of the 300 dpi printer resolution, be sure to clean your print head regularly. These printers can be used for:

• Shipping, asset and product labels.
• Direct thermal & thermal transfer labels.
• All standard paper and synthetic stocks.

Note 300dpi printed sample: A slightly smaller barcode can be used. Smaller font sizes like point 6 can be printed but a bold setting is needed. Some detailed lines  within the image are not as clear as the 600 dpi print. 

A 600 DPI Print

Even better than the 300 dpi print resolution is that of the 600 thermal printer dpi – as there are certain industries and applications where the 300 printer dpi just won’t cut it; such as serial numbers on an electronic ID labels, fine jewellery, and product labelling.

In addition to being required to produce readable texts and barcodes, the 600 printer dpi resolution is best suited for instances with much smaller fonts and symbols. the 600 thermal printer dpi resolution is especially created to offer high quality print resolution to satisfy the needs of specific applications where lower resolution printers can’t comply with barcode label standards.

Think of a situation where a higher resolution might be required to print detailed text & logos that need to be crisp, then the 600 printer dpi resolution if the best bet.

The 600 printer dpi resolution is best for cases like:

• Small asset labels.
• Nutritional Information Panels (NIP).
• Electronic and jewellery and labels.
• Printing font sizes of 6pt and under.
• Synthetic stocks with resin ribbons.

Note 600dpi printed sample: A much smaller barcode can be used. Smaller font sizes like point 6 are easily legible. Detailed lines within the image are clear and precise when compared with the 200 dpi and 300 dpi prints. 

Printer DPI in summary

In more simple terms, the smaller the text and images, the higher the dpi require to produce a readable and scannable print label.

Also, important to note is the concept that the speed of producing these prints across the different types of thermal printers is inversely proportional to the dpi. In other words, as the dpi increases, the maximum print speed of a thermal printer decreases.

For instance, while a 203 thermal printer dpi can print up to 14 inches per second (IPS), a 300 dpi thermal printer can go as far as 12 IPS, and a 600 dpi resolution can print up to 6 IPS. This does however very much depend on the printer brand (manufacturer) and model, as these vary widely.

So, when next you are on the lookout for the ideal printer dpi for your print label; whether its a 203 dpi or a 300 dpi or a 600 thermal printer dpi; keep in mind the size of the label and text, type of text and detail to be printed, the print quality, and print speed required for your application.

Here’s a few ideas of what’s possible using a thermal transfer printer

You don’t always need a commercial label printer to be able to print great looking labels.

Using a thermal transfer printer, you can create some amazing effects.

With a bit of creativity and a few tips, you’ll be printing eye-catching labels in no time.

Thermal transfer printers have been around for a long time, but many people only think of thermal printing as black print on a white label.

Using different colours and combinations of ribbons and labels creates a variety of effects.

White print on clear labels

Great for dark coloured bottles and jars such as craft beer, aromatherapy, essential & homeopathy labels.

The white ink creates a crisp contrast with the amber/dark background.

Tips:

• Clear polypropylene (PP) is a good label option to use for this technique.
• A black mark/eye-mark should be printed between the labels. Thermal printers use a transmissive sensor to identify the gaps between opaque labels (and hence where each label starts/stops). A gap sensor won’t detect the clear labels; hence many thermal printers also have a black-mark sensor which is used to detect these eye marks.
• If using with oils e.g., aromatherapy, it’s best to use a pure resin ribbon, as a wax-resin ribbon will rub off. You may need to test a few different grades until you find one that works well.

Gold/Silver print on coloured labels

Works well on darker backgrounds like black, where the metallic ribbon can provide depth.

Tips:

• It can be difficult to source resin grade metallic ribbons. If not available, this option may not be suitable when resistance & durability is needed. Wax-resin silver/gold ribbon will be fine for cosmetic and retail label applications.

Black print on a gold/silver metalized label

Adding gold foil labels to your products is an excellent way to attract attention and make them look more professional.

Metalized foils are generally silver or gold, but these blank labels can be tinted to a variety of colours by Accurate Labelling or any other quality printing company.

Tips:

• Black ribbon is common with a range of properties, so ensure you have a high-quality grade that won’t smudge and will adhere well to your labels.

Pre-printed labels

A common challenge is the need for high-quality colour labels with consistency of branding and logos, while still having the flexibility to print specific details in-house.

This is best solved using pre-printed labels supplied by a professional label printer (e.g. Accurate Labelling), then overprinting the details using a thermal transfer printer.

Tips:

• Make sure you tell the printing company that you will be overprinting. Often labels are coated with a coating/varnish that prevents thermal transfer ribbon adhering well.

General Thermal Transfer Printing Tips

Software: Thermal label printers use specific programming languages to interpret and print labels. This means that the instructions sent to the printer should be in the correct format for the labels to be printed properly. Label design software such as BarTender helps by making it easy to design and print labels. The label software then uses a printer driver to convert the information into a format that the label printer can read. Using a good label software program helps to ensure a high-quality print.

Printer dpi: the printer resolution will determine the quality of the print, and how detailed it will be. The standard resolution is 203 dpi which will be enough for large text and shapes. If printing more detailed and finer text, logos, or symbols then a 300 dpi or a 600-dpi printer is recommended.

Ensure printhead is clean: over time dust, adhesive and other residue accumulates on the printhead. This affects the quality of the print and can also result in damage to the printhead. Regular cleaning is highly recommended using isopropyl alcohol 99% or higher. Cleaning can be done with Iso-wipes, a soft lint-free cloth, cleaning pens or cleaning cards. Manufacturers recommend cleaning when label rolls are replenished.

Printer settings: adjusting the printers heat (darkness) and speed settings is crucial. This can often be the difference between a good quality print and a poor-quality print. A slower speed will generally result in a better print. Ribbons with a wax component need a lower heat, while thermal ribbons with a resin component need a higher heat. As a rough guide if the print is blotchy, then it is likely that the heat is too high and too much ink is being transferred on to the label. If the print is sparce then it could be that there’s not enough heat to allow the ink to stick to the label.

Print Stunning Thermal Transfer Labels

There are a range of fantastic looking print effects that you can achieve using your thermal transfer label printer.

Get in touch with Accurate Labelling to see how we can help with your labels.

Label printers use media sensors to determine where the media (i.e., label/tag) begins and ends. This is needed so that the print can be accurately and consistently positioned on the label.

Label Printer Media types

As far as label printers are concerned there are 3 types of media:

1. Continuous (e.g., lengths of card or satin/polyester tag rolls)
2. Gaps/notches (e.g., die cut labels, or nursery tags)
3. Black mark/eye-marks (e.g., clear die cut labels with marks on the backing paper).

Continuous Media

This is a label/tag/material that comes in a length without any die-cut, separation, gap or notch.

Examples include rolls of satin/polyester/card, which are printed and sometimes manually cut, or automatically cut using the printer’s built-in cutter.

When printing on continuous media the printer/driver should be set to continuous mode, so it is not using a sensor to determine the beginning/end of a printed area. In this instance the printer is only looking for the presence of the media, and not a specific position to begin printing.

Media with Gaps

This is the most common type of media and includes die-cut labels.

With die-cut labels the labels are lightly cut, and the unused label material is then removed. This allows for the labels to be peeled off easily. There is also a gap between each label.

The gap between the labels is what the printer uses to determine where each label begins and ends. Hence the printer can determine precisely where on the label it should print.

The printer uses a transmissive sensor to sense opacity changes between the areas with the label, and the area without. (I.e., the opacity of the backing paper with the label on it, is higher than the backing paper on its own – as it is more transparent).

Media with Notches, Slots, or Holes

Some synthetic media such as nursery plant tags have notches, slots or holes. These are a great way for a printer to determine the position of the media using a transmissive sensor.

It is worthwhile noting that not all printers have a movable sensor. If the notches/slots/holes are on the edge of the media, then the sensor would need to be moved to line up into the relative position in order to work.

Media with Black Marks or Eye-marks

Black Marks or Eye marks are usually used when printing on clear labels. Because there is very little if any difference in opacity between the transparent label and the label gap, the printer is unable to determine where the label begins/ends.

In these cases, a black mark or dark line is printed on the underside of the backing paper. The printer then uses a reflective sensor to work out where each label begins and ends. (i.e., the backing paper reflects more light than that of the eye-mark).

This method is also used for butt cut labels, where there is no gap between the labels. This minimises material waste, however the black marks are needed for the barcode label printer.

Printer Media Sensors

Label printers use media sensors to determine where the media (i.e., label/tag) begins and ends. This is needed so that the print can be accurately and consistently positioned on the label.

Most quality printer brands have both a gap (transmissive) sensor and a black mark (reflective) sensor. However not all media sensors are movable, this will depend on the individual printer model.

Transmissive media sensors are used to identify gaps, notches, holes or slots in the labels & tags.

Reflective media sensors are used to identify black marks, eye marks or other darker printed identifiers on the labels & tags.